Evaluating the efficacy of Valsalva’s maneuver and music therapy on peripheral venous cannulation: A prospective study

Aim: Peripheral venous cannulation (PVC) is a painful but necessary procedure forpatients undergoing surgery. Various distraction techniques have been used to reducethe pain. This study was designed to compare the effect of music therapy and theValsalva maneuver (VM) on patients’ perioperative pain, anxiety, and satisfactionassociated with the PVC.Methodology: This study was performed in patients that underwent surgery from April2017 to July 2017, at the Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine Hospital. Onehundred and fifty patients were randomized into three groups. One listened to music(Group M), one underwent the VM (Group V), and one had no intervention (the controlgroup, Group C) during PVC. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain andanxiety of the patients two minutes after venipuncture. A 5-point Likert scale was usedto evaluate each patient’s satisfaction.Results: The study found significant differences in pain score, anxiety level, and patientsatisfaction between Group C and Group M (for pain, p = 0.001; for anxiety, p = 0.003;for patient satisfaction, p = 0.004). The only difference measured between groups C andV was in pain score (p = 0.034).Conclusions: Music and the Valsalva maneuver can be useful to reduce perception ofpain. Additionally, music has a positive effect on reduces patient anxiety in a way thatthe VM does not.